September has been busy with six families moving into both Westwood Transitional Village and the Transitional Living Center in Venice. Some of the families are larger and so we are depleting our stock of twin-sized bedding more quickly than normal. We’re always in need of new twin and QS bedding and $25 Target gift cards.
And we would like to take this opportunity to again thank our dear volunteer, Patty Colvig, now gone for just over a year and who we thank daily for remembering our charity in her will. We will commemorate Patty’s generosity with a painting of her beloved dog, Seamus, on our Pine Tree Circle Bin door, painted by Liz Dupuy, a wonderful artist and former volunteer who has created such beautiful images for our Bin.
We will be kicking off our annual Challenge Grant Campaign and this year it will be a little different. Keep watching this space to hear about the changes. More news about Christmas giving is coming soon.
This was a two-bedroom, one-bath unit with one queen-sized bed and a crib. We always appreciate the help given by energetic teen volunteers snd on this set-up, the teen helping us has been volunteering with TWC since she was seven years old! She brought her little sister along to get her started on the road to volunteerism. There are only five Veteran units at Westwood and Vets are allowed to stay up to two years, so we traditionally haven’t seen quite so many set-ups in these units.
After a year of uncertainty, this family will finally be able to rest and take a deep breath, secure in the knowledge that they are safe and comfortable in their new home. We made sure to provide lots of toys & books for the 10-year-old boy and some really lovely baby bedding and clothing, as well as diapers and wipes. Few of us can imagine going through a pregnancy homeless. After the hardships of the last year, this weary family will really appreciate having space and a home to call their own.
It’s always fun to gather things together for the little ones and this time was no exception. One of our volunteers brought her two teens who were an enormous help. Theo provided the muscle and Ava the design sense! This was a four-bedroom, two-bath unit on two floors and it was great to have those young legs running up and down the stairs. Full fridge, a comfy bed for mom, a bedroom for each little girl and even the baby has her own room.
Given the difficulties this small family has been through, they were especially happy to walk into a welcoming home, a place for this dad to get back on his feet. His gratitude, according to those who work at the Village, was palpable and our volunteers created a beautiful space for this needy family.
We haven’t been to Venice in a while, primarily due to Covid, as they’ve allowed families to stay longer than the normal six months. This facility is for moms and kids, many of whom have stories that are harrowing to hear and frequently involve domestic abuse that has led to homelessness. There were two families approved to move in, one with a mom and her two little ones sleeping in their car for the last year and the other small family living in a crummy motel. We are still not doing setups in Venice due to their concerns regarding Covid, so this was a drop-off only, but the families should be very happy with their fresh bedding & bath items and a fully kitted-out kitchen.
We rarely see the families we help, and we like it that way, but it is nice to get feedback every now and then. Here’s a quote from Mary Wiseman, Property Manager at Westwood Transitional Village:
Niago and TWC Board Member, Wendy Skolfield, spent the day there behind the TWC booth, meeting and sharing our mission with YPO members as they toured the exhibit hall. Interest was shown and Wendy will be following up with several YPO Chapter members.
